Here's Meet the Press's response to a viewer who complained about Russert's badgering of Obama about Belafonte:
Thank you for your e-mail.
The Chicago Tribune of December 25, 2005 said the following:
"Harry Belafonte, the entertainer and civil rights activist, corresponds with [Senator] Obama by telephone and e-mail."
The article continues quoting Belafonte as saying:
"I think Sen. Obama is a force...We've seen so many others who have come to high places and have failed so miserably. I think he could be our exception to the rule."
It is sound and fair journalism to ask a political figure about comments made by a prominent supporter. That same standard is consistently applied on Meet the Press. Here are just a few examples: on February 13, 2000, presidential candidate George W. Bush was asked about comments made by Bob Jones; on February 20, 2000, Sen. John McCain was asked about comments made by his political consultant about David Duke; on February 27, 2000, Karl Rove was asked about comments made by Pat Robertson; and on October 3, 2004, Republican Senate candidate Tom Coburn was asked about comments made by Alan Keyes.
Thank you for writing and watching.
Let's run down the list.
Bush was asked about comments made by Bob Jones because he made a speech at BJU.
John McCain was asked about comments made by his political consultant about David Duke because...it was his fucking paid political consultant.
Rove wasn't asked about Pat Robertson's "remarks." Rove was asked about a recorded robocall message which went out to voters in Michigan created by Pat Robertson. That message?
MR. PAT ROBERTSON: (From telephone message) Tomorrow's Republican primary may determine whether our dream becomes reality or whether the Republican Party will nominate a man who wants to take First Amendment freedoms from citizens' groups while he gives unrestricted power to labor unions. A man who chose as his national campaign chairman a vicious bigot, who wrote that conservative Christians in politics are anti-abortion zealots, homophobes and would-be censors. John McCain refused to repudiate these words. You may hold the future of America in your hand. With all the sincerity I can muster, I urge you to go to the polls and vote in tomorrow's election. This is Pat Robertson. Thank you and God bless you.
The "vicious bigot" was... Warren Rudman. Robertson was also making other calls in support of Bush in South Carolina.
Senator Coburn wasn't asked about Alan Keyes because Alan Keyes was a "prominent supporter." Coburn was asked about comments because of comments he himself had made about Alan Keyes.
MR. RUSSERT: Dr. Coburn, let me bring you back to 2000, the Republican primary for president of the United States. And you chose Alan Keyes over George W. Bush, and this is what you said: "It is clear to me that Alan Keyes is the one candidate for president who actually understands what is wrong with our country and who has the vision, the courage, and the clarity of principle to put it right. Ambassador Keyes has shown repeatedly that he has a better grasp on the issues--the foreign policy, the fiscal policy, the social policy and all the rest of it--than any other candidate. ... My heart and my conscience tell me Alan Keyes is the man who should be president."
Why did you think that Alan Keyes would make a better commander in chief than George W. Bush?
Followed later by:
MR. RUSSERT: I just want to follow up on Alan Keyes one last time and then I want to ask Mr. Carson about George Bush. "In May of this year"--this is what Alan Keyes said--"now you think it's a coincidence that on September 11th, 2001, we were struck by terrorists--an evil that has at its heart the disregard of innocent human life? We who have for several decades killed not thousands but scores of millions of our own children, in disregard of the principle of innocent human life--I don't think that's a coincidence, I think that's a warning. ... I think that's a shot across the bow. I think that's a way of Providence telling us, `I love you all; I'd like to give you a chance. Wake up! Would you please wake up?'" Do you agree with Ambassador Keyes that September 11 was a warning by the creator about America and its policy on abortion?
DR. COBURN: No, not at all.
MR. RUSSERT: You did say that abortionists should be killed, the death penalty.
News organizations apparently have nothing but contempt for the intelligence of their audience. Jeebus.